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Investment Q&A

Not investment advice or solicitation to buy/sell securities. Do your own due diligence and/or consult an advisor.

Q: My company has announced an employee share offer plan. I would like your opinion on the pros and cons of employee share offer plans in general, and specifically on the plan being offered to me.

I work for a large European company (20B euro market cap; 65,000 employees in 50 countries), and the stock trades in Europe. This is not a small start-up company.

The key terms of the offer are: (a) 20% discount on the share price, (b) 1 free share for every 4 shares subscribed up to 10 matching shares, (c) account management fees paid by the company, (d) investment locked-in for 5 years (to Dec 2022) (except in the case of early redemption). I really don’t like being locked in for 5 years, but I guess that is the price to pay for a 20% discount.

I have been burned before on an employee share offer program (dot com era), so am always questioning why companies ask employees for help. The employer always promotes how good it is for employees (e.g. 20% discount), but what is in it for the company? If the company needs to raise money why not just go to the stock market? I don’t buy the pride of ownership in the company you work for, blah, blah, at least not with a very large company (I am one of 65,000 employees).

I am skeptical when employers tell employees how great something is for them. Been burned before 15 years ago when they told us how great it is for us to switch from a DB pension plan to a DC pension plan. They neglected to tell us how much better it is for them if we switched from the DBPP to the DCPP.

p.s. Maybe one day you can do a blog on pros and cons of employee share offers, and what an employee should look out for.
Read Answer Asked by Paul on October 27, 2017
Q: Good morning

Thinking about the possible divestitures that POT will likely make to get approval of the merger. Are assets in situations like this typically sold before or after the merger?

If the assets are sold after the merger and at a premium to book value, it would seem the premium would be shared among shareholders of both companies even though the premium was not anticipated at the time the company values were set for the merger.

It would make more sense to me to sell prior to the merger and distribute the premium over book to the POT shareholders. Of course, if the premium is insignificant then it is a moot point.

Anyway, just curious to hear your thoughts.

Thanks for all your help.
Peter
Read Answer Asked by Peter on October 27, 2017
Q: I have held Parkland for several years and up about 29.54% Have a full position. Held in RRSP account. Since peaking at $32.45 in May PKI is under significant downward Pressure. Tine to move on? Maybe replace with Couche_Tard. Your thoughts .Thanks
Read Answer Asked by David on October 27, 2017
Q: Hi 5i Research team, Can you please provide your analysis regarding the relative growth and competitiveness of Microsoft w/ cloud based computing. What is your opinion regarding the stocks performance for 2018? Is there one tech stock that you expect will outperform Microsoft over the next year and why? Thank you, Linda
Read Answer Asked by Linda on October 27, 2017
Q: Thanks for answering my question on Dowdupont. You say you are concerned about its huge size and say possible lack of fireworks. I understood the company planned to split into three in the next year or so. Possible fireworks?? Also can you suggest a few companies (any sector except tech) that you might predict fireworks? I like the word!
Read Answer Asked by Elaine or Gerry on October 27, 2017
Q: I own all three of these companies. I am up 10% in WSP, 10% in CCL.B and 13% in RCI.B I want to add to one of them, which one would you suggest?
Thanks for your help. Dorothy
Read Answer Asked by Dorothy on October 27, 2017
Q: I picked up half a position on this stock on your suggestion. It ran up and away from me and I never got the gumption to buy the other half. It has been a nonstop mess of news/deals/upgrades right up into today. What do you think of it after today? That money I've set aside is burning a hole in my pocket!
Read Answer Asked by Gerald on October 27, 2017
Q: I have held these companies since 2014. Is there hope for any of them of should I sell them? They are in a cash account and I am down more that 50% on all of them.
Read Answer Asked by brian on October 27, 2017
Q: Hi Peter and team
I need cash from our LIF/RIF accounts and need to decide which stocks to pare. Considering future growth, should I sell equal amounts from ENGH / GIB'A or sell only one , and MG / PBH for another account? Appreciate your help.
Gary
Read Answer Asked by Gary on October 27, 2017
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